quick alternator question! help asap!

[rubburner]

sorry to bother you guys, but i'm trying to change my alternator! i got the broken one out, but can't seem to get the working one IN! any tips? do i need some kind of tool! been going at it from below and from the top! just can't seem to get the bottom of the alt to line up with the holes, as there is some kind of lip on the alt. anyways, any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks!

[DAEDALUS]

Probably just need to put more effort into it. Not trying to be sarcastic or anything...it's just a real PITA job with not a lot of room to work in. No shortcuts that I've come across. The mounting flanges on the alternator are almost *exactly* the same width as the mounting bracket to minimize stress on the component. So it has to slide on almost perfectly straight. And then you need to try and pry and/or tap it on till the holes line up. Make sure you're not pinching anything when positioning it.

[rubburner]

thanks daedalus. i'll try that tomorrow, but yeah, i tried lining it up and i am still about 1/2 inch away from the holes! so i dunno...anyways, thanks again!

[rubburner]

oh, one other quick question, can you remove the mounting bracket off the block? or is that a NO-NO?

[DAEDALUS]

I don't know for certain on yours, but on my car it's doable. Be careful if you're near the AC compressor...you don't want to cause any leaks. If the bracket's fastened down with standard bolts it should be possible. But if you're looking for an easier way to get the alternator back on, that's probably not it. Maybe just for verification that the slip-bushing hasn't moved, preventing installation of the alternator, or maybe for cleaning.

[rubburner]

hey daedalus, thanks again for the responses. somebody on the zilvia board said that he "grounded" (i assumed sanded) down the lip part of the alternator, so that it was "easier" to line it up? do you think this is an absolute NO NO? or do you think it's ok to do? please let me know! still trying my hardest to get the sucker in! had a friend who's dad is a mechanic, and he said 240's are one of the hardest to change the alts! well, thats GREAT, cause i'm a newbie to fixing cars so i'm SOL! anyways...if you could, get back to me about sanding the lip down. thanks again!

[DAEDALUS]

If you ground down *part* of it (bevel or chamfer) just to make it a bit easier to start the interlock of the 2 parts, then you'd probably be OK. The important thing is that there not be a complete gap between the alternator and the bracket. Any gap will be closed when you torque down the fasteners, and this will stress the plates and the alternator, possibly causing internals to wear faster and failing sooner. That's the reason why they're so closely mated to begin with. But a chamfered or rounded corner on either the alt or the mounting bracket shouldn't be a problem.Sounds like you need to test your friendship! Nothing wrong with getting help from experienced eyes.I had forgotten that on my car, the A/C compressor is below the alternator bracket. I did remove it to get more room to work in for changing out the alternator. It took more time, but it made installing the alternator a lot easier. Don't disconnect the compressor without evacuating the system first, and don't let the compressor hang by the lines. I've done the alt both ways and I prefer to have the compressor out of the way.